Top SoCal Wildflower Spots

Fri April 28, 2017 11:42pm

By Laurel Moore
For The Alpine Sun
Last month when my Facebook feed started blowing up with photos and news of the wildflower super bloom – created by the record rainfalls this past winter – I knew I had to grab my camera(s) and hit the road. Since then, I have traveled more than 1600 miles in search of the most epic wildflower sightings in southern California. While many areas have already peaked, there are still places that are bursting with color – including some right here in San Diego and others within a few hours’ drive.
A field of purple statice mixed with varieties of yellow flowers greets visitors at the entrance to North Chollas Community Park in southeast San Diego. A trail inside the park is flanked by yellow coreopsis, brittlebush and mustard. The parking and picnic area between the community park and Chollas Lake is dotted with more of the purple and yellow flowers.
Further west along the coast at Torrey Pines State Reserve (off I-5 between La Jolla and Del Mar), the 6/10 mile loop Guy Fleming Trail offers expansive ocean views and a variety of wildflowers, including sea dahlias, poppies, and sand verbena. Mariposa lillies and chamise are starting to blossom, adding hues of purple and white to the landscape. The park entrance fee is $15 weekdays; $20 weekends.
Although the wildflower bloom 65 miles from Alpine in the Anza Borrego desert has died out, the red-tipped ocotillo continue to put on a good show along with several types of blooming cacti and shrubs.
For displays of our state flower, head north (about 3.5 hours from Alpine) to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. The flowers in the hills of the reserve are drying up, but there are blooms on the western slopes and brilliant orange patches along the roads on the outskirts of the reserve. Avenue I near 100th Street on the southeast side of the park and Avenue D at 140th Street West on the north side of the park offer good photo ops.
Midway between Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo lies the most spectacular super bloom location I have ever witnessed – Carrizo Plain National Monument. The alkaline Soda Lakes are surrounded by endless fields of colorful flowers, including yellow coreopsis and goldfield, burnt orange fiddleneck, and purple phacelia. The nearby foothills of the Temblor Range have patches of yellow that create mosaic patterns in the distance.
The wildflower peaks in warmer areas have come and gone, but there are still plenty of opportunities to find that California gold (or purple). Different types of flowers will bloom at different elevations and locations around the state throughout the summer. Remember to take drinking water and be on guard for rattlesnakes. Check the weather forecast; some varieties of flowers only open when it is sunny, and bad weather can cause road or trail closures.
For current wildflower information: Anza Borrego Wildflower Hotline (760) 767-4684; http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca.html has photos and updates on blooms around the region; Theodore Payne Foundation Hotline (818) 768-1802 ext. 7; and http://www.visitcalifornia.com/attraction/californias-spring-2017-wildfl...
(laurel_moore@aol.com)